The Criminal Trial of Yugoslav Poet Vlado Gotovac: An Eyewitness Account

Abstract

Vlado Gotovac was born on 18 September 1930 in Imotski, a town in the Yugoslav republic of Croatia. He is married and has one daughter. A graduate of Zagreb University where he studied philosophy, Gotovac is a poet, essayist, and literary critic who has published numerous volumes of poetry and essays on social and cultural problems. Among his works are the following titles: Poems from Always, Dangerous Space, Echo, and To Be Justified.' He also published a book of philosophical essays, Princip Djela, in 1966.2 Until 1971, he served as a writer for Zagreb Television. He had, prior to 1971, served as a member of various Yugoslav delegations to UNESCO meetings throughout Europe. He is currently a member of the Yugoslav Philosophical Society. Since 1971, Vlado Gotovac has been denied employment and has been unable to publish his writings except in samizdat form. After the 1971 uprising known as the Croatian Spring which resulted in, among other things, Tito's condemnation of the Coatian party leadership, Gotovac was charged with disseminating hostile propaganda, was convicted and sentenced, and actually served three years in Gradishka prison. His sentence also included a three-year prohibition on public appearance and expression after completion of his prison term pursuant to Article 67 of the Yugoslav Criminal Code which states that: